Tom Glasgow: Peach trees can split if overloaded

Published: Friday, June 27, 2014 at 09:36 PM.

Premature dropping of fruit from peach trees can be influenced by a variety of factors. Perhaps the most frequent explanation is that the fruit was not thinned at the proper time, and as a result the tree has naturally shed its excess fruit load. According to NCSU Extension horticulture specialist Mike Parker, peaches have a tendency to overbear and the trees commonly split if the crop load is too heavy.

Thinning is one of the most important and most frequently overlooked tasks in backyard tree fruit production. Thinning reduces excess weight on tree branches; results in larger, higher quality fruit; and conserves the plant’s resources in a way that leads to more consistent production from year to year.

For peaches and other tree fruits, thinning should take place when fruit are about the size of a dime in diameter, with the remaining fruit spaced about six inches apart. In a home orchard situation with a limited number of trees, this can be accomplished by pinching off the developing fruit between your thumb and forefinger. In commercial plantings, beating the trees with a rubber hose or plastic baseball bat to knock the fruit off is the most popular thinning method.

Unsuitable site conditions can also contribute to the shedding of immature fruit. For example, both drought and excessive wetness affect root function and can limit the amount of water available to the tree and the developing fruit. Nematode damage to the roots could have the same result. Excessive shade is also a potential problem; fruit trees in general should be located in areas receiving full sunlight for as much of the day as possible.

Insect damage to the fruit could lead to premature drop, with the plum curculio being the most likely culprit on peaches. For information on controlling the plum curculio and other common insect and disease problems in fruit trees, visit http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/clinic/ and look for Plant Disease Fact Sheets. After moving to this page, click on Diseases and then look for the note titled “Disease and Insect Management in the Home Orchard.”

Inadequate pollination is another problem that can result in shedding of immature fruit. Peaches don’t require multiple varieties for cross pollination, but on the other hand a mix of different cultivars can extend the fruiting season. Remember that poorly timed insecticide applications can kill any pollinators that happen to be around. Many insecticides are toxic to bees, and these should be avoided during flowering.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I’ve enjoyed seeing the flowers on the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) growing in our backyard. Buttonbush is a deciduous shrub with a rounded outline, usually reaching anywhere between six to ten feet in height at maturity. Buttonbush has attractive glossy leaves, and is well adapted to wet areas around wetlands or ponds but seems to grow well in normally drained sites as well.

Premature dropping of fruit from peach trees can be influenced by a variety of factors. Perhaps the most frequent explanation is that the fruit was not thinned at the proper time, and as a result the tree has naturally shed its excess fruit load. According to NCSU Extension horticulture specialist Mike Parker, peaches have a tendency to overbear and the trees commonly split if the crop load is too heavy.

Thinning is one of the most important and most frequently overlooked tasks in backyard tree fruit production. Thinning reduces excess weight on tree branches; results in larger, higher quality fruit; and conserves the plant’s resources in a way that leads to more consistent production from year to year.

For peaches and other tree fruits, thinning should take place when fruit are about the size of a dime in diameter, with the remaining fruit spaced about six inches apart. In a home orchard situation with a limited number of trees, this can be accomplished by pinching off the developing fruit between your thumb and forefinger. In commercial plantings, beating the trees with a rubber hose or plastic baseball bat to knock the fruit off is the most popular thinning method.

Unsuitable site conditions can also contribute to the shedding of immature fruit. For example, both drought and excessive wetness affect root function and can limit the amount of water available to the tree and the developing fruit. Nematode damage to the roots could have the same result. Excessive shade is also a potential problem; fruit trees in general should be located in areas receiving full sunlight for as much of the day as possible.

Insect damage to the fruit could lead to premature drop, with the plum curculio being the most likely culprit on peaches. For information on controlling the plum curculio and other common insect and disease problems in fruit trees, visit http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/clinic/ and look for Plant Disease Fact Sheets. After moving to this page, click on Diseases and then look for the note titled “Disease and Insect Management in the Home Orchard.”

Inadequate pollination is another problem that can result in shedding of immature fruit. Peaches don’t require multiple varieties for cross pollination, but on the other hand a mix of different cultivars can extend the fruiting season. Remember that poorly timed insecticide applications can kill any pollinators that happen to be around. Many insecticides are toxic to bees, and these should be avoided during flowering.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I’ve enjoyed seeing the flowers on the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) growing in our backyard. Buttonbush is a deciduous shrub with a rounded outline, usually reaching anywhere between six to ten feet in height at maturity. Buttonbush has attractive glossy leaves, and is well adapted to wet areas around wetlands or ponds but seems to grow well in normally drained sites as well.

Buttonbush is in the Rubiaceae family, a large and varied group that includes coffee, gardenia, and another local native plant favorite, the partridgeberry (Mitchella repens). Buttonbush is quite valuable to pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths. Overall, this is a great plant to include in your native plants landscape.

Tom Glasgow is the Craven County Extension director. Contact him at tom_glasgow@ncsu.edu.